Universally adjustable light socket



Nov. 18, 1941, N. R. SCHWARTZ U NIVE IRSALLY ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOCKET Filed June 15, 1940 Patented Nov. 18, 1941 OFFICE UNIVERSALLY ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOCKET Nathan Rodney Schwartz, New York, N. Y.

Application June 15, 1940, Serial No. 340,746

Claims. "(Cl. 173-344) grees and therebeyond, relative to its normal axis A further feature is in the provision of means whereby the socket may be rotated on its axis substantially one complete turn.

Other purposes are to produce a socket of this type having means incorporated therein by which it is automatically retained in any of its adjusted positions; to prevent entanglement and undue strain on the current conducting Wires, to present an attractive appearance, and to make its inexpensive manufacture possible.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the novel and practical construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, constituting a material component of this disclosure, and, in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a completely assembled embodiment of the device.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a similar sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is another cross sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a partial side elevational, partial sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 3 as rotated at an angle of ninety degrees and bent at a right angle.

Figure 8 is a plan view in detail of a seat ring used in construction.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 99 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a partial side elevational, partial sectional view of a modification in construction.

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional View taken on line of Figure 10.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral |5 designates in general'a dielectric plug having a diametrally reduced upper portion I6,

terminating in a rectangular tip l7; fixed on the reduced portion is a conductor cap l8 provided with the usual screw threads to engage a socket, the fiat top of the cap having a central opening l9 through which the tip extends.

The opposite end of the plug is enlarged, as at 2|], and corrugated for convenience in entering and removing the device, while therebeyond is a-cylindrical projecting stem 2| terminating in a reduced end 22 on which is a narrow lateral nib 23 for a purpose later apparent.

A rectangular chamber 24, having opposed rounded side walls, is formed axially in the plug to extend nearly to the tip I! through the stem 2|.

A substantially spherical ball 25, of insulating material is formed with two flat parallel sides 26 and contains a through opening 21 corresponding to the chamber 24.

One of the ends of the ball has a circular seat 28 to receive the plug projection 2|, and in its lower portion is a lug 29 to act as a stop for the nib 23, thereby limiting the relative rotation of the plug and ball to slightly less than 360 degrees.

In the opposite portion of the ball are recesses cut across diametrally on both sides to present guide slots 3| to loosely receive a thin bar 32, on which rests a coiled compression spring 33, disposed in the recesses to abut the ball pressing it outwardly. There is also provided a cut-out 3| for the passage therethrough of electric cables, which will be described as this specification proceeds. Should two such cut-outs be desired, they would obviously be on opposite portions.

A bolt 35 is threaded into the bar 32 and passes through the ball, plug and tip on which its head 36 is seated, thereby providing means for regulating the pressure of the spring 33.

The ball 25 seats in a ring 38 having a concave upper face, and a gap 39 in one side; the ring is pressed against the ball by a Coiled compression spring 40, resting on a washer 4| supported in a manner later described.

A thin walled metallic casing 42 encloses the washer, spring, ring and ball, the casing being curved conformably to the ball, as at 43, and contains an open recess 44, reaching from'the apex of the casing to an extent therebelow, on one side, to receive the stem 2| and permit it to rotate therein and also to swing into vertical and horizontal positions at the will of an operator, and further, due to the effect of the spring, to be retained in its adjusted position.

Formed on the ball 25, in spaced relation are a plurality of lugs 34 to act as guides against the edges of the recess 44, and which prevent the ball from rotating in the casing.

The lower part of the casing 42 is expanded to form a skirt 45, at its junction with the main portion is slit and bent to produce inreaching prongs 46 at spaced intervals to support the washer 4|, the skirt is also perforated to receive a standard bulb socket switch.

The electrical connections consist of the bolt 35 which, with its head 36 acts as a conductor to the bar 32 and thence to a wire 50, in electrical engagement therewith to a switch 5| (see Figure 1) and thence to its point of application.

The mating insulated wire 52 leads from the switch, past the bar 32, through the spring 33, passage 21, and chamber 24 to the conductor cap l8, thus constituting a complete circuit.

The reason for the gap 39 will now be apparent, as it allows ample clearance for bending the wires when turning the plug at an angle.

In the modification shown in Figures and 11, the same casing, spring, washers and ball are used; for the plug is substituted a connector having an internal thread 6| which, after engagement on a support may be secured by a set screw 62.

The bore 63 of the connector is reduced at its inner end portion, forming a shoulder 64, while its extremity passes through the casing to engage the ball, and is provided with similar means to prevent over rotation.

A sleeve 65 passes through the reduced bore of the connector and is formed with a head 66 having a slot to seat on the shoulder 64; inner portion of the sleeve is threaded at its end 65 to engage a bar 61, similar to the bar 32, but expanded at its center 68 and internally threaded to receive the sleeve 65, which upon being turned, adjusts the spring in an obvious manner.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is descriptive and illustrative of the best known embodiments of the invention, but that it is not intended to be restrictive or limitative of the exact construction shown, and the applicant reserves for himself the right to make such changes and modifications in the device as come within the scope of the appended claims, without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention and set forth the manner of its construction and application, what is claimed as new and sought to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A universally adjustable plug for electric sockets having two contacts and comprising an insulate stem having a conductive cap engageable with one of the contacts in the socket and a tip to engage the other contact, a ball in which said stem is rotatably mounted, an expansion spring in said ball, a bar supporting said spring, a conducting bolt passing axially through said tip, stem and ball, and threaded into said bar whereby the stem is tensionally drawn into the ball, a flexible conductor engaged with said cap, a second flexible conductor connected to said bar, a ring in which said ball is seated, said ring having a gap for the passage of the conductors, an expansion spring urging said ring against said ball, said casing being recessed to permit the stem to turn angularly on its axis through at least 90 degrees, and means to limit the rotative movement of said stem to substantially 360 degrees.

2. A universally adjustable plug for electric sockets having two contacts and comprising an insulate stem having a conductive cap engageable with one of the contacts in the socket and a tip to engage the other contact, an insulate ball recessed to rotatably receive the foot of said stem, means to resiliently confine the stem in the ball, a casing enclosing over half the peripherial surface of the ball, said casing recessed to permit said stem to turn on its axis to substantially ninety degrees angularity, resilient means to maintain frictional contact of said ball within its casing, said means including a spring pressed concave washer, means in said casing to support said washer, said means comprising a coiled compression spring, a bar on which said spring rests and prongs integral with and extending inwardly from said casing to support said bar, conductors passing through all of said elements leading respectively from said cap and tip to their point of application, and means to limit the rotative movement of said stem to substantially 360 degrees.

3. A universally adjustable plug for electric sockets having two contacts and comprising an insulate stem having a conductive cap engageable with one of the contacts in the socket and a tip to engage the other contact, an insulate ball in which the inner end of said stem is rotatably mounted, a spring to tensionally retain said stem in frictional engagement in said ball, means to restrict the turning of said stem to within 360 degrees rotational movement, a concavely faced washer in which said ball is seated, a spring urging said washer against the ball, means to adjust the pressure of said spring, a casing enclosing more than half the periphery of said ball, said casing recessed to permit turning the ball and stem through an angle of substantially degrees, a washer on which the last named spring is seated, means in said casing to support said washer, and conductors having terminals to engage contacts in a socket and convey current to contacts carried by said casing.

4. A universally adjustable plug for electric sockets having two contacts and comprising an insulate stem having a conductive cap engageable with one of the contacts in the sockets and a tip to engage the other contact, a ball in which said stem is rotatively mounted, an expansion spring in said ball, means for supporting said spring, a conducting bolt passing axially through said tip, stem and ball and threaded onto said spring supporting means whereby the stem is tensionally drawn into the ball, a flexible conductor engaged with said cap, a second flexible conductor engaged with said spring supporting means, a ring in which said ball is seated, said ring having means at the side thereof for the passage of the conductors, an expansion spring urging said ring against said ball, said casing being provided with means to permit the stem to turn angularly on its axis through at least 90 degrees, and means to limit the rotative movement of said stem to substantially 360 degrees.

5. In a universally adjustable plug for electric sockets having two contacts, an insulate stem having a conductive cap engageable with one of the contacts, a tip to engage the other contact, a ball in which said stem is rotatively mounted, an expansion spring in said ball, a bar supporting said spring, a conductive bolt passing through the tip, stem and ball and threaded casing to permit said stem to turn angularly on its axis through substantially 90 degrees, and means to prevent the twisting of the flexible conductors during the rotative movement of said 5 stem.

N. RODNEY SCHWARTZ. 

